The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for issuing identification information, a recording medium having recorded thereon a computer program for issuing identification information, a computer program for issuing identification information, an apparatus and method for processing information, a recording medium having recorded thereon an information processing program, and an information processing system, all of which are suitably used in various network service systems such as a service of downloading desired contents.
Currently, various content servers are provided on a network. A user accesses a content server on the network through his or her client terminal, such as a portable telephone or a personal computer, to thereby download a desired content, such as music or a movie.
In the case that content is downloaded from a content server on the network to the client terminal, the content server first identifies the user and then transmits the requested content to the user's client terminal. Various kinds of information can be used for identifying the user (hereinafter referred to as user identification information). In one example, identification information specific to each client terminal (hereinafter referred to as a device ID) is used as the user identification information. In this case, the device ID is added to information to be sent or received between any client terminal and any content server. The content server transmits to the user's client terminal the content requested by the user after identifying the user based on the device ID.
In the above case in which a device ID specific to each client terminal is added to information to be sent or received between the client terminal and the content server, however, the below-described problems may arise.
Manufacturers which manufacture or sell client terminals generally use the device IDs thereof for managing information on the users who buy the client terminals, for managing communications with the client terminals, for managing the maintenance of the client terminals, etc. That is, the device IDs are important information for the manufacturers.
On the other hand, services to be provided to users through a network can be varied. If a manufacturer could provide all the various services, a hardware product (terminal device) manufactured and sold by the manufacturer may have an increased value. However, it is difficult for the manufacturer to provide all such services by itself, so that the manufacturer must entrust other service providers with the services the manufacturer cannot provide. Besides, there may be a request for other service providers to provide a new service for hardware products (terminal devices) of the manufacturer.
For the case in which service providers other than the manufacturer provide a service, if the device ID is added to information to be exchanged between the service providers and the client terminal, the device ID important to the manufacturer can become known by the service providers, which may cause misuse of the device ID. For this reason, such a device ID is desirably added only to information to be exchanged between the client terminal and the manufacturer.
Besides, for the case in which information communication is performed between the client terminal and the manufacturer, the manufacturer has its own database which records the device IDs of all the hardware products manufactured and sold in the past by the manufacturer, and collates the device ID added to information sent from the client terminal with those recorded in its own database to identify the user. Therefore, if other service providers were allowed to use the device IDs as user identification information, there may be a need for the service providers to have their own databases which record all device IDs of the manufacturer, similarly to the manufacturer as described above. This increases the burden on the service providers intending to provide a service, which is not preferable.